BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday participated in a programme to distribute nutritious food to students of a government higher primary school in Ejipura. He also inspected the Ejipura flyover and the Gandhi Bazaar road.
Speaking at the school programme, he felt students themselves should manage and conduct all the programmes and teachers should not even get on the stage. “Our high school students have the capacity, the girls have the talent. I will speak to Primary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa regarding this”, he said.
The Deputy CM even looked towards the Deputy Director of Public Instruction, who was present at the event, and jokingly asked whether his ‘concept’ was good. He also said that he eagerly participated in the programme as he wanted to be amidst children.
The Deputy CM said government schools are facing a shortage of 50,000 teachers and added that prestigious private institutions in the vicinity should loan their teachers to government schools. Private companies should also contribute towards improving government school buildings through their CSR funds, he added.
Shivakumar also inspected the 2.1 km Ejipura flyover which has remained incomplete since 2017. “The work was started in 2014 and stopped in 2017 and only about 30 per cent of the work was completed. The BBMP is taking legal action against the contractor. Fresh tenders were called, but no one is coming forward to take the project further, which will cost about Rs 300 crore”, he said.
The Deputy CM also inspected the Gandhi Bazaar road which has been remodelled and is awaiting inauguration. He heard complaints that the work was taken up under the Smart City project and even after one-and-half years, it has not been completed. The two-way street has been made one-way and there is no parking facility or place for street vendors, the locals said.
To media queries on the BJP’s planned protest, Shivakumar said, “In a democracy, anyone can do anything. Let them first elect their leader. The Congress is like an ocean and anyone who is keen to safeguard their political future will take appropriate decisions. Was what the BJP did in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka earlier right? Should I reveal who is talking and about what?” he questioned.
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